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Christian Zionism - New Life Tabernacle of Chattanooga

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about conservation? Why waste time and money preserving things for<br />

future generations when everything is going to come to a fiery end with<br />

this one? … The implementation <strong>of</strong> the return <strong>of</strong> Christ to the earth<br />

hardly admits <strong>of</strong> competition for funds by outfits like Amtrak. It follows<br />

that all domestic programs, especially those that entail capital outlay,<br />

can and should be curtailed to free up money to finance the<br />

development <strong>of</strong> nuclear weapons in order to rain fiery destruction upon<br />

the evil enemies <strong>of</strong> God and His people.’ 512<br />

Halsell observes how Reagan was consistent throughout his political<br />

career in making similar statements about America fighting against satanic<br />

forces in an imminent and inevitable nuclear Armageddon. She concludes<br />

that these help explain why Reagan felt he had ‘a mandate to spend trillions<br />

<strong>of</strong> dollars preparing for a nuclear Gog and Magog war.’ 513<br />

While George Bush Snr., Bill Clinton and George Bush Jnr. have not<br />

appeared to share the same dispensational presuppositions <strong>of</strong> either Jimmy<br />

Carter or Ronald Reagan, they nevertheless have maintained, however<br />

reluctantly, the strong pro-Zionist position <strong>of</strong> their predecessors. 514 Politicians<br />

tend to reflect the views <strong>of</strong> their electorate, or at least <strong>of</strong> lobby groups and the<br />

Zionist lobby are considered by many to be the most powerful in the United<br />

States. 515 Three <strong>Christian</strong> leaders, in particular, each given a White House<br />

platform by Reagan, have probably achieved more than any others have in<br />

the last forty years to ensure American foreign policy remains resolutely pro-<br />

Zionist. They are, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Hal Lindsey. Each has<br />

made a unique contribution to the development <strong>of</strong> <strong>Christian</strong> <strong>Zionism</strong>.<br />

10.2 Jerry Falwell: Ambassador <strong>of</strong> <strong>Christian</strong> <strong>Zionism</strong><br />

Jerry Falwell is the pastor <strong>of</strong> Thomas Road Baptist Church and the Founder<br />

and Chancellor <strong>of</strong> the 10,000 student independent Baptist Liberty University,<br />

Lynchburg, Virginia. 516 Jerry Falwell Ministries sponsor the Liberty<br />

Broadcasting Network TV channel and syndicated Old Time Gospel Hour<br />

programme which is broadcast on 350 stations in the USA and has a budget<br />

512 Ibid., pp49-50.<br />

513 Ibid.<br />

514 George Bush, Speech to the American Jewish Committee, May 3, (2001), http://www.usisrael.org/jsource/US-Israel/presquote.html<br />

515 Michael Lind, ‘The Israel Lobby and American Power’ Prospect, April (2002), pp22-29;<br />

Halsell, Prophecy., op.cit.<br />

113

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